8th Pay Commission: The Modi government has announced the constitution of a four-member committee under the chairmanship of the Finance Secretary to improve the National Pension System.
In such a situation, it is being speculated that the Modi government can also give green signal to the formation of the Eighth Pay Commission. The 8th Pay Commission is to be constituted in 2023 itself. The Pay Commission was constituted only in 2013 when the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission were implemented in 2016. The recommendations of the new Pay Commission are implemented after every 10 years.
Last year in August 2022, when the question was asked to the Finance Minister whether the Modi government would also give a green signal to the formation of the Eighth Pay Commission. The Pay Commission is to be constituted in 2023 itself. Then, while answering this question, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary had said that there is no proposal before the government to set up the 8th Pay Commission.
The Minister of State for Finance had given this answer in writing to the question asked during the Question Hour. Although it is not that easy either. Because the National Pension System, about which the Modi government was not getting confused, during the passage of the Finance Bill in the Lok Sabha, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that it has been decided to further improve the National Pension System for government employees.
And for that they have decided to form a committee under the chairmanship of the Finance Secretary. This decision of the Finance Minister was surprising.
The Lok Sabha elections to be held in 2024 are just a year away and the vote of the government employees is very important for the ruling party, in such a situation, a committee has also been formed to improve the National Pension System.
In such a situation, it is believed that the Modi government can also give a green signal to the formation of the Eighth Pay Commission. Before the Lok Sabha elections, the government cannot buy the displeasure of the government employees by not constituting the Pay Commission. Opposition parties can make it a big election issue like NPS.
There was already a tussle between the Center and the states ruled by the opposition parties regarding the National Pension Scheme. The old pension scheme was reinstated in Congress ruled states like Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh. After which the government has constituted a committee to review the NPS. That’s why it is being speculated that the government can also constitute the Eighth Pay Commission.
Let us tell you that since 1947 many Pay Commissions have been formed. The government constitutes a new pay commission every 10 years. On the basis of whose recommendations the salary of central employees and pension of pensioners are increased. The Seventh Pay Commission was constituted by the UPA government on 24 February 2014. In 2006 and 2016, the Sixth and Seventh Pay Commission had recommended a big hike in the salaries of central employees and the governments, accepting it, also increased the salaries of government employees.
